Elevation Profile Tool
Draw a line on the map or upload a GPX track to chart the ground elevation along it, with total gain, loss and the steepest grade.
Click the map to place the start of your route, then click for each turn.
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Map: USGS The National Map topographic basemap (US coverage). Routes work worldwide.
Total climb
—ft
m · over
- Total descent
- Highest point
- Lowest point
- Steepest grade
- Start
- End
- Net change
- Sample spacing
How it works
- Route length is the sum of the great-circle distances between your points, from the haversine formula with a mean Earth radius of 6,371 km: d = 2R · asin(√(sin²(Δφ/2) + cos φ₁ · cos φ₂ · sin²(Δλ/2))).
- We place 100 points at equal distances along the route (fewer on routes under 1 km, keeping at least 10 m between points) and look up the ground elevation at each: USGS 3D Elevation Program in the US, Terrain Tiles elsewhere.
- Total gain = sum of every rise between neighboring points; total descent = sum of every drop.
- Grade between neighboring points = rise ÷ distance × 100%. The steepest grade is the largest of these, uphill or downhill.
GPX files are read in your browser. Only the sampled coordinates leave your device, to look up their elevations. For single spots, use the elevation map.
Related tools
Frequently asked questions
How do I make an elevation profile?
Click the map to place the start, then click again for each turn of your route. Press "Get profile" to see the chart. To use a recorded route, upload a GPX file from a GPS watch or hiking app instead.
How is elevation gain calculated?
We take 100 evenly spaced points along the route, look up the ground elevation at each, and add up every rise between neighboring points (total gain) and every drop (total loss).
Why is my gain different from my GPS watch or app?
Gain depends on how often elevation is sampled. Watches record a point every second or two and include small bumps (and sensor noise); this tool samples the map 100 times along the route, so on long routes it skips small ups and downs and usually reports less gain.
Does it use the elevations stored in my GPX file?
No. It uses the track's path from the file and looks up the ground elevation along it from USGS (or Terrain Tiles outside the US), so every route is measured the same way. Your file stays in your browser; only the sampled coordinates are sent for elevation lookup.
What does maximum grade mean?
Grade is rise over run as a percentage: 10% means 10 ft up for every 100 ft forward. The maximum is the steepest stretch between two neighboring sample points, so short steep pitches between samples can be steeper.
Sources
- USGS Elevation Point Query Service — elevation at each sample point in the US (3D Elevation Program)
- Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen) — elevation at sample points outside the US
- NASA Earth Fact Sheet — mean Earth radius (6,371 km) for the haversine distance
- USGS The National Map — topographic basemap
How each number is produced: methodology and data sources.